Planning Volume 2, Control Workstation and Software Environment

SP planning issues

You should read all of this book. The planning steps you take depend on what you have now and what SP system configuration you want to have. Chapter 2, Defining the system that fits your needs helps you define an SP that meets your needs. The following list contains some of the major issues you need to consider when setting up your SP system:

• The type of computing your SP system will perform.
• Possible operational benefits from using the Parallel Environment.
• Future expansion (scaling) plans for your system.
• The number of nodes you will need.
• The type of nodes you will need.
• |The IBM pSeries or RS/6000 model you can use for a |control workstation.
• High Availability (system backup) requirements for data and hardware.
• The amount and type of data storage.
• External network connections for your SP system.
• The language in which you want AIX and PSSP to operate.
• The security service to use for AIX remote command authentication.
• The security services to use for SP trusted services.
• Migration for system upgrades.
• The ability to use partitioning and coexistence as migration tools.
• Coexistence requirements and limitations.

Remember, as your planning begins to shape your SP system, you will need to work closely with your hardware planners. Many of the software decisions you make might create a related requirement in hardware such as:

• Cables to connect frames, control workstations and extension nodes.
• The number and types of nodes will affect power and cooling requirements.
• Data recovery and connections to external systems will influence the types of adapters ordered.